The Virgin Mary in Christian Tradition (Distance Learning - 20 credits)
| Code | School | Level | Credits | Semesters |
| THEO4035 | Philosophy | 4 | 20 | Full Year UK |
- Code
- THEO4035
- School
- Philosophy
- Level
- 4
- Credits
- 20
- Semesters
- Full Year UK
Summary
This module seeks to develop core skills in historical and systematic theology with reference to a particular topic: namely, Christian doctrine and devotion concerning the Virgin Mary. The module will study the historical development of the Marian cult in Eastern and Western Christian traditions, with emphasis on its spiritual, doctrinal, and liturgical importance. It will show how Christian interest in the Virgin Mary increased in the course of the first five centuries of the Church, especially with regard to three main aspects: her central role in the incarnation of Christ, her status as a model of virginal asceticism, and her capacity to act as protector or intercessor for Christians. Moving to the medieval period, the module will then explore scholastic theologians interest in the Virgin Mary’s relationship both to God and to the human race; in other words, was she free from original sin, or immaculately conceived, in view of her special role as birth-giver of Christ or Mother of God? The final unit of the module will investigate differences in modern perceptions of Mary, e.g. between Eastern and Western Christianity, Roman Catholicism and Protestantism, and Feminist and more traditional theologians.
Target Students
Only available to postgraduate students in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies
Classes
Printed study pack with primary and secondary sources and questions for consideration;Contact with the module tutor by email, webct, Skype, or letter on points of interest and questions requiring further clarification or explanation.Lectures at the annual Spring Seminar.
Assessment
- 100% Coursework 1: 1 x 4,000 word essay
Assessed by end of designated period
Educational Aims
The aim of this module is to introduce students to a subject which spans doctrinal, spiritual and liturgical aspects of Christian tradition. Students will be invited to explore the cult of the Virgin Mary from a variety of perspectives and within all of the main Christian Churches, including Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Protestant. The main focus of the module will be on reading primary sources which date from the 1st through 21st centuries and learning to assess their importance within the Marian tradition as a whole.Learning Outcomes
Knowledge and Understanding:
•Demonstrate a good knowledge of the historical development of Christian devotion to the Virgin Mary;
•Understand the Christological implications of Mary’s role in the incarnation of Christ and the debate that led to the decisions of the council of Ephesus (A.D. 431);
•Demonstrate knowledge of the main arguments used by two scholastic theologians regarding the ‘immaculate conception’ of the Virgin Mary;
•Understand the main differences between Eastern (Orthodox) and Western (Catholic) approaches to the Virgin Mary.
Intellectual skills:
•Display critical awareness of the various aspects of the cult of the Virgin, e.g. its doctrinal basis, popular manifestations, and ecumenical implications;
•Read primary texts critically and to assess them using independent judgement;
•Critically assess secondary scholarship on this subject, taking into account the theological, gender-based, or ecclesiological considerations that may affect some studies.
Professional, practical skills:
•Develop the ability to use a range of library and information resources in order to identify and employ appropriate source material;
•Interact constructively with the tutor and with other students enrolled in the module;
•Write coherently and persuasively on a chosen topic related to the subject matter of the module.